A New Year's Eve
by CaptainDan52
Summary: Gwen invites Kevin to a New Year's Eve party at Ben's house. Follow them in the moments leading to the stroke of midnight.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Imagine this happening, if you will, after the events in ParamoreXO's, "Second Hand Love."_

. . . . .

Kevin and Gwen were attending a New Year's party at Ben's house. While everyone else was in another room waiting for the Times Square ball to drop on TV, the couple laid down on the couch in the basement, listening in. Gwen rested her head on Kevin's chest while he absentmindedly fiddled with her hair.

"So," Kevin broke the ice, "besides classes, what do you think of college?"

"Honestly," replied Gwen, "it's not what I thought it would be. During my senior year of high school, everyone pestered me about how great college was and how great I would be in college."

"You believed them?"

"No, not completely. I was skeptical; but oddly, I wanted to believe them. If it was good enough for them, it would be just as good for me. But it wasn't even close. In fact, I felt so disillusioned, I started getting crazy, almost schizophrenic thoughts about it."

"Like what?"

"Well, I briefly considered the possibility that all those people were somehow programmed to tell me nothing but great things about college. It was like, they wanted me to go, not because I sincerely wanted to, but because they wanted me to be more like them."

"You're not crazy," Kevin intervened. "You're just finding out what me and my friends have already known for years."

"None of your friends went to college?"

"A couple of them have high school diplomas, but nobody got beyond that."

"What about you? Would you have gone to college?"

"Probably not. I mean, I'm all for learning, but like you said: colleges care more about making people conform than anything else. Besides, if everybody conformed and did everything the same way, what would that make us? Robots? Clones?"

"Robot clones?"

"No, that would just be creepy."

She nodded in agreement.


	2. Chapter 1B

_Author's Note: This has less to do with Chapter 1 and more to do with a personal monologue of sorts. Please bear with me._

. . . . .

**Kevin's POV**

I realize we haven't talked to each other in months.

Believe it or not, though, I kept thinking about Gwen.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why she means so much to me.

There's just something about her I could never describe.

Even if I had a Pulitzer, I still couldn't put into words what that was or could be.

She's probably noticed by now.

If there was nothing more than a hunch that she was in trouble, I would still be there within minutes to help her.

But it went far beyond that.

I have a criminal record, and there are things in there I'm not proud to have done.

But what I regret doing as a criminal is nothing.

NOTHING, compared to what I regret doing to Gwen.

The two times I was mutated, she went through spellbook after spellbook to help cure me.

But how I hated myself because of the mutations is nothing.

NOTHING, compared to how I hated myself because I thought Gwen wasn't doing anything to help me, or that I could've hurt her, or worse.

I've done things that would've earned me the death penalty.

I've done things that would've made Hitler or Stalin seem like nice guys.

But how I feel about all that is nothing.

NOTHING, compared to how I would feel if I ever hurt Gwen.

I could forgive myself for trying to cause a train crash, but I could never forgive myself for hurting Gwen.

I would kill for her if I had to.

But, try as I might, I can't figure out why that is.

I guess there really is something (almost magical) about her I could never describe.

I may never know what it is, but it doesn't matter.

I still love her.


	3. Chapter 1C

**Gwen's POV**

When I meditate, I suddenly become connected to the universe outside me, the universe within me, and just about everything in between.

But even when I'm not meditating, I'm still connected to Kevin.

He would argue it's because of the "roguish charm" he always brags about.

Of course, I never believed his claim.

So, on one occasion, I asked him, "Exactly how do you define 'roguish charm'?"

He answered, "It's what makes 'good girls' like 'bad boys'."

My initial reaction to that statement was mixed, but as I reflected on my experience with Kevin, and the specific statement, I realized there was a lot more to it.

There had to be a reason that girls with strict fathers and straight A's would be drawn to what was often their polar opposite; after all, "opposites attract."

And I'm extremely reluctant to admit this, but since I couldn't really pinpoint what that reason was, Kevin could be right about the "roguish charm."

If that's the case, and there is something about him I'll never figure out regardless how close our relationship gets, then I would need to rethink what I know about Kevin.

Maybe that's part of the "roguish charm."

Maybe there is a mystery to him no one can truly figure out, not even me.

Which is not to say I don't already know him fairly well; on the contrary, I'm one of about five people who know him the most (me, Ben, Grandpa Max, Kevin's mom, and Kevin himself).

To be fair, it's very likely there are things about me Kevin has as much trouble figuring out.

Maybe that's what makes our relationship what it is: the mystery.

I guess there really is something to his "roguish charm" I could never describe.

But it doesn't matter.

I still love him.


	4. Chapter 2

Everyone else in the other room began counting down.

30, 29, 28, 27...

"It's almost midnight," Gwen sat up excitedly.

"Yep," Kevin made room for her next to him.

…23, 22, 21…

Kevin took Gwen's hand in his. They turned to each other and smiled.

…17, 16, 15…

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you too," she replied.

…10, 9, 8...

The counting became louder and more raucous.

…6, 5, 4...

Kevin and Gwen slowly moved ever so closer to each other.

…3, 2...

Their lips gently touched, and...

…1…


End file.
